Date Published:
2018 01

Publication Type:
Journal Article

Authors:

D.J. Nolan
R. Rose
P.H. Rodriguez
M. Salemi
E.J. Singer
S.L. Lamers
M.S. McGrath

Secondary:
AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses

Volume:
34

Pagination:
123-125

Issue:
1

PMID:
29084441

URL:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29084441

DOI:
10.1089/AID.2017.0254

Keywords:
Adult;Aged;Anti-Retroviral Agents;Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active;Genes, gag;HIV Infections;HIV Seropositivity;HIV-1;Humans;Male;Middle Aged;Phylogeny;Polymerase Chain Reaction;Proviruses;RNA, Viral;Spleen;Viral Load;Viral Proteins

Abstract:
<p>Combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) does not eradicate HIV, which persists for years and can re-establish replication if treatment is stopped. The current challenge is identifying those tissues harboring virus through cART. Here, we used HIV env-nef single genome sequencing and HIV gag droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) to survey 50 tissues from five subjects on cART with no detectable plasma viral load at death. The spleen most consistently contained multiple proviral and expressed sequences (4/5 participants). Spleen-derived HIV demonstrated two distinct phylogenetic patterns: multiple identical sequences, often from different tissues, as well as diverse viral sequences on long terminal branches. Our results suggested that ddPCR may overestimate the size of the tissue-based viral reservoir. The spleen, a lymphatic organ at the intersection of the immune and circulatory systems, may play a key role in viral persistence.</p>